October 5, 2020 by Chain Drug Review
ACA, Affordable Care Act, Supreme Court
Issue 10-05-2020, News

NEW YORK — Ever since it was signed into the law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act has been under constant attack by Republicans seeking to undermine the former president’s signature legislation. Despite surviving numerous attempts by congressional Republicans to repeal it and its constitutionality being upheld by a majority-conservative
January 21, 2019 by Chain Drug Review
Affordable Care Act
issue 01-21-2019, News

WASHINGTON — Since becoming law in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known more commonly as the ACA or Obamacare, has been a burr under the saddle of Republicans — and President Trump in particular. While some Americans embraced the ACA as a vehicle for them to get insurance and for its
January 21, 2019 by Jeffrey Woldt
Affordable Care Act, NPC, prescription drug prices
issue 01-21-2019, Opinion

Everyone recognizes that the high cost of health care in the U.S. is a chronic problem, the fallout from which is hurting patients, constraining providers and preventing the nation from marshalling adequate resources to address other essential needs. As noted in this space earlier this month, the Affordable Care Act, the legislation that governs the
January 7, 2019 by Jeffrey Woldt
Affordable Care Act
Issue 01-07-2019, Opinion

The law of the land for almost a decade, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is as controversial now as it was when it was enacted. Republicans’ negative view of the legislation remains diametrically opposed to that of Democrats, public opinion is divided, and the courts continue to issue often contradictory rulings
February 26, 2018 by Geoff Walden and Chain Drug Review
Affordable Care Act, Avalere, CHRONIC Act, CREATES Act, Daniel Mendelson, federal budget legislation, health care spending, Independent Payment Advisory Board, Medicare Part D, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Stephen Ubl
2018, Issue 02-26-2018, Issues, Leading Headlines, News, Pharmacy, Retail News

WASHINGTON — Health care spending has been beefed up in some areas and reduced in others as a result of the federal budget legislation passed by Congress earlier this month. Chronic care funding was bolstered by the two-year spending plan, which was signed into law by President Trump, while some Affordable Care Act appropriations were
January 15, 2018 by Geoff Walden and Chain Drug Review
ACA open enrollment, Affordable Care Act, health insurance, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell
2018, Issue 01-15-2018, Issues, News
WASHINGTON — Nearly 9 million people signed up for health insurance in the Affordable Care Act’s latest open enrollment period, despite the Trump administration having cut its duration in half. The 8.8 million enrollees were only slightly fewer than the total in the last ACA open enrollment period, which, besides being longer, was much more
January 1, 2018 by Chain Drug Review
Affordable Care Act, B. Douglas Hoey, Bill Pascrell, federal tax overhaul, individual mandate, John Barrasso, John Cornyn, Jon Kingsdale, Lindsey Graham, Matthew Shay, Medicaid expansion, National Community Pharmacists Association, National Retail Federation, Obamacare, Sherrod Brown, tax reform legislation
2018, Issue 01-01-2018, Issues, Leading Headlines, News

WASHINGTON — The individual mandate is no more. The requirement under the Affordable Care Act that people pay a penalty if they do not obtain health insurance was eliminated in the federal tax overhaul passed by Congress. After the Senate approved the tax reform legislation 51-48, Trump tweeted, “Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare) Repealed.” He signed
January 1, 2018 by Jeffrey Woldt and Chain Drug Review
Aetna, Affordable Care Act, CVS Health, CVS-Aetna merger, Jeffrey Woldt, Larry Merlo, Matthew Shay, National Retail Federation, Rite Aid, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Walgreens Boots Alliance
2018, Issue 01-01-2018, Issues, Opinion

A case could be made that for pharmacy operators passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act late last month was the biggest story of 2017. Championed by the Republican leadership in Congress and President Trump, the $1.5 trillion measure will provide substantial, permanent tax relief for businesses — the corporate tax rate was cut
December 11, 2017 by Bill Schiffner
Affordable Care Act, Alex Azar, Eli Lilly, Health and Human Services Secretary, Patty Murray, Rand Paul, Senate health committee, Tom Price
2017, Issue 12-11-2017, Issues, News, Pharmacy, Retail News

WASHINGTON — Alex Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive named by President Trump to be the next Health and Human Services secretary, told senators at a full committee nomination hearing that making prescription drugs more affordable would be one of his top priorities. “Drug prices are too high,” Azar said to the Senate health committee at
December 6, 2017 by Chain Drug Review
2016 U.S. health care spending, Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS Office of the Actuary, Health Affairs, Micah Hartman, retail prescription drug spending
Featured Articles, Leading Headlines, Pharmacy, Retail News

BETHESDA, Md. — Growth in prescription drug expenditures tailed off despite an overall gain in 2016 U.S. health care spending, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Last year, U.S. health care spending totaled $3.3 trillion, up 4.3%, compared with growth of 5.8% in 2015 and 5.1% in 2014, according to a
December 5, 2017 by Geoff Walden and Chain Drug Review
ACA, Affordable Care Act, individual mandate, John Barrasso, Mitch McConnell, Senate tax reform bill, Susan Collins
Issue 12-11-2017, News, Pharmacy, Retail News

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate as part of its sweeping tax reform bill has likely spelled doom for the provision, which required people who didn’t obtain health insurance to pay a tax penalty. Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) said the 51-49 vote passing the Senate tax reform
November 6, 2017 by Geoff Walden and Chain Drug Review
ACA marketplaces, Affordable Care Act, Alexander-Murray, health insurance markets
2017, Issue 11-06-2017, Issues, News
WASHINGTON — The future of the bipartisan bill to stabilize health insurance markets remained uncertain after President Trump sent mixed signals about the health reform legislation. GOP senators who met with Trump late last month said he had withheld his backing for the bill, which would temporarily restore insurance subsidies that the president had blocked
October 23, 2017 by Bill Schiffner
Affordable Care Act, AHPs, association health plans, Chuck Schumer, health insurance, preexisting conditions, President Donald Trump, Trump executive order
2017, Issue 10-23-2017, Issues, Leading Headlines, News, Pharmacy, Retail News

WASHINGTON — After numerous failed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to relax standards on small businesses that band together to buy health insurance and may take steps to allow the sale of other health plans that skirt the health law’s requirements. The Trump executive order
October 9, 2017 by Geoff Walden and Chain Drug Review
Affordable Care Act, Bill Cassidy, Graham-Cassidy, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Obamacare, President Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Susan Collins
2017, Issue 10-09-2017, Issues, Leading Headlines, News, Pharmacy, Retail News

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Obamacare would be repealed and replaced early next year, following the failure of the Senate’s latest effort to overturn the law. After the Senate pulled back from a vote on legislation that would have moved control of health insurance to the states, Trump said Republicans “have the votes” to